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IC (Hatann): As punctual as ever, Hatann strolled (no, noo nonchalant), snuck (nah, lacks that air of confidence) moved into the dark alleyway to join Ineritio. The black Skakdi blened almost seamlessly with the shadows around him - only his purple eyes stood out with any great clarity. It reminded the criminal very much of the alley where he had first met the turaga of iron, the first NEX recruiter.

"Hatann" he introduced himself. "Killer. You need a job done, I am here."

[color=#808080;]"Isn't it?" Zuria replied, reentering the kitchen as Ferron got acquainted with the hut. "I can't seem to keep up with all this new technology. I prefer to stick with an open fire with a nice armchair in front of it, and a cup of tea in my hands. And besides, it's not like all of this stuff could ever beat the-"[/color]

[color=#808080;]wheeeeeeeeee[/color]

[color=#808080;]"-kettle!" She exclaimed, quickly popping open the flap at the top and pouring into two cups, both of which had teabags in. "Do you take sugar? Milk?"[/color]

[color=#696969;]"Milk" Ferron said as he looked around for a place to sit, a task easier said than done. The furniture clearly wasn't intended for someone of Ferron's size and volume.[/color]

[color=#696969;]After giving up trying to find a preexisting piece of furniture. He generated a crude metal stool in the corner, leaning back against the wall, with a satisfying sigh as he let the warmth of the stove wash over him.[/color]

[color=#808080;]"So," Zuria began as she handed Ferron his tea, gave the dinner some maintenance, then took a seat. "It's been a little while, hasn't it? I think it's time to do some catching up." She took a sip of her tea, then: "What have you been up to since..." Her face fell slightly as she searched for a softer way to put it. "Since Po-Wahi?" [/color]

There was a sound off to his right, something was stealthily slipping in through the shadows, the same that he himself found to be so easy to traverse. It was the darkness, so welcoming to those who chose to dwell inside it and use it for their travels.It was from the shadow that one could see nearly anything, could listen to things they were never intended to hear. Death could also be quickly unleashed from the shadows, before vanishing back into them and slipping away unseen. It was a tool, and yet much more. Without the shadows, everything that allowed this world to be twisted to his vision would have to take place in the sight of everyone, and such would cause no end to misery.

"Hatann, I believe that we have met? Perhaps not that you can remember, as it was quite some time ago." His voice was little more than a whisper, audible only because of the silence of the alleyway. The voice was as serene and meek, very disconnected to anything going on around it. It was not the voice one would expect from someone who lead killers towards victims, far to soft to have the coldness of a true killer. And yet, the voice came from a being who stood in the darkness, almost overshadowing the darkness with his own. It commanded attention, yet almost seemed as though it wasn't meant to be heard by those around him. It was like thought given form, a simple passing thought floating audible through the air.

"I assume you would not remember it, seeing as you were not supposed to know I was there." He continued, taking a step away from the alley wall, where he had been leaning in thought not so long ago. It was the perfect location, public enough that it could be found, isolated enough that no one would ever care to traverse down it. And the darkness, it was what sealed in his mind the perfection of the location. The lights didn't reach down the full distance, and in the back it became void of all light's reach. "I was the one who viewed over you, to see if you were of an acceptable quality for NEX, so I assume you can forgive me for my lack of unease at your approach."

"If you are wondering why I am the one delivering these... I suppose you could call them missions? That interestingly enough is due to a temporary void that I am being forced to fill, that of a Turaga, who I assume you knew before his demise." He said it as much to Hatann as he did to himself, somewhere between taking part in a conversation and merely speaking to himself. But as disconnected as he seemed, Hatann had his full attention, nothing else stood to distract him from the words that were coming forward. "Now, I have two options from which you can choose. You may continue to hunt after those you are assigned, and present a tablet at the scene, or you can do something far more... interesting."

"You see, the island is in a very rough shape, the villages no longer seem to get along very well. Such a shame isn't it, that greed has such power to destroy unity among friends? And it brings such a dark light to those political murders that are taking place in the village of fire. I hear that Ko-Koro is behind it, a terrible loss that fire and ice can not get along." He looked into the ground at his feet, as if thinking of explaining what it was that he had just been speaking to. There had been nothing of the sort in Ta-Koro, not yet at least, and Ko-Koro was not involved if their were. "In case you don't understand that rather vague bit of information, you are being giving the choice of killing someone, or staging Ko-Koro for high-profile killings in Ta-Koro. Why must they write these orders in such vague terms, I'll never..."

[color=#000080;]Two or three streets away from where Ineritio and Hatann were discussing what types of killing could take place, a smaller-than-average matoran walked. On his back were one of those packs that people would expect matoran to use if they were holding something. (See, that's what bags are for.) Inside it, of course, were the objects he was holding, including lunch, water, and a carbon coated (Black) axe. As he strode through the street, the matoran, Toa and whoever else paid him almost no heed.[/color]

[color=#000080;]And so he strode, plain in the glare of the lightstones, until he reached the alleyway. He slowed down, but didn't hesitate at all to step in, his footsteps silent as he approached Ineritio and Hatann. 'Daknigh', he said quietly, and if not for the fact that the two others were masters of utilizing the darkness, he'd be invisible, a phantom, waiting to stab you then put on a face. [/color]

[color=rgb(47,79,79);][font="georgia, serif;"]"Make sure that he knows to keep the bodies recognizable," a voice called to Hatann and Interitio, accompanied by the sound of metallic footsteps, each sounding out quieter even than that of those Onu-Matoran walking past this small area, unaware of its occupants. Into what light there was strode a tall figure, with gleaming, metallic armour; yet not a minute earlier he had been invisible in the darkness.[/color][/font]

[color=rgb(47,79,79);][font="georgia, serif;"]Missing was the expected crossbow, knives, tomahawks, or other such weapons; instead, the Toa before them had only his physique and a white scarf wrapped about his neck, with the smallest hint of a stain shown; blood, possibly? Saliva? He looked over at Hatann, and gave the Skakdi a quick grin - one which seemed to dry and fall, like a grape left too long on the vine, as he turned towards Interitio, who at this point was invisible except for eyes and heartlight in his own darkness.[/color][/font]

[color=rgb(47,79,79);][font="georgia, serif;"]"Step into the light. It was not my policy to conduct a meeting among the members of this organization while shrouded in shadows, and it should not be yours either."[/color][/font]

[color=#000080;][font="arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"]Raxa's request wasn't outright denied, and a small Onu-Matoran stepped out of the shadows halfway. He looked up at the scarved Toa, emotionless, not knowing exactly what he should be feeling.[/color][/font]

[color=#000000;][font="arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"]OOC: Drae, PM TDC; he runs NEX, which was an organization before you joined the game that involved killing people and then killing more people.[/color][/font]

OOC: Any chance the Phantom could get in on this assassination business?

[color=#696969;]IC: Demos[/color]

[color=#696969;]Nothing to do. The stone was unturned. There was time, but it was short on patience. Fleet as a shadow, the Toa climbed down the side of the warehouse, leaping from it before reaching the bottom. Fading into imperceptibility, it slipped through the streets, listening.[/color]

There was another being inside the alleyway now, a stealthy, albeit short, one. But size didn't matter in the world of death dealers. A small threat was as dangerous as a large one, you merely were less likely to expect them until it was far too late for survival. They could go where no other could, Matoran were thought of as much less a danger, and therefore became more dangerous. A funny balance, the less you fear something, the more likely it is to pose a true threat. He wondered how greatly NEX was feared, or if the death of the Turaga had ended all worry about the shadowy organization. He hoped the later, as it would mean they were starting anew at crafting danger for the island.

"You wish to kill people, you say? Then I believe you have found the right place." Two eyes peered out at him from the darkness, looking over him, despite the near lack of visibility. It was like two soulless orbs, lost in some distant dream, were peering not at it, but right through him, into his thoughts and emotions. "Ah, I do believe I know you. You were checked and tested to see how well you would fit as a member of NEX, and your passing those tests is why you are here, I assume? I suppose that I should explain the current-"

His words were cut off by the speaking of a shiny metal Toa, who spoke up loud enough that the whispered words were completely lost. He turned wearily towards Raxa, who had decided to make himself known to the group. If he thought stealthily showing up for the meeting was in any way original, then he had certainly lost it by stepping out in all of his shininess. He could have frowned, had his mouth been visible, he had certainly hoped that Raxa had actually left away for the final time, but here he found himself yet again standing near the Toa who called himself leader of NEX. Interitio wondered if he had heard the news, that he was not the only one in a leadership position now, Interitio didn't have to follow his orders anymore. "No thank you, I am perfectly fine where I am."

"Oh, and I believe you requested this for your return, did you not?" He reached into his cloak, pulling from it an empty bottle. Once, it had held a very fine drink, but now it was as dry as the deserts of Po-Koro. It had been quite full when Raxa had last seen it. "Now, back to the very important matter at hand. We have ourselves two options, one for a single assassin, and another that shall take a group effort if it is to reach completion." He moved slightly in the darkness, pulling small papers from the same place as the empty bottle. "Just read this for information on the larger group's mission."

==You see, the island is in a very rough shape, the villages no longer seem to get along very well. Such a shame isn't it, that greed has such power to destroy unity among friends? And it brings such a dark light to those political murders that are taking place in the village of fire. I hear that Ko-Koro is behind it, a terrible loss that fire and ice can not get along.==

[color=rgb(47,79,79);][font="georgia, serif;"]Raxa, himself, merely stood back and waited. He would have time enough to speak to Interitio after the other few had left; it was merely the waiting game. And, of all these people, Interitio knew that Raxa was the best at that game; better even than him. He'd only played it for the last decade or two, likely longer.[/color][/font]

[color=rgb(47,79,79);][font="georgia, serif;"]Meanwhile, Raxa pulled out the bottle of white zinfandel he'd bought himself prior to coming, pouring into a glass that seemed to form around the wine as it fell. At the slight glance he got from Interitio, he smiled.[/color][/font]

[color=rgb(47,79,79);][font="georgia, serif;"]How good to be back in this game.[/color][/font]

[color=#696969;]The Phantom floated through the city, unknown to everyone. Its ears reached out to the shadowy areas of the town, searching for anything of interest. The word "assassin", distinct and clear, though hushed, leaped out to it. In an instant, before the sentence had been finished, the Phantom knew the exact location of the one who had uttered it. As silently as ever, it glided towards the sound, a puff of dust the only hint of its presence. [/color]

[color=#808080;]"So," Zuria began as she handed Ferron his tea, gave the dinner some maintenance, then took a seat. "It's been a little while, hasn't it? I think it's time to do some catching up." She took a sip of her tea, then: "What have you been up to since..." Her face fell slightly as she searched for a softer way to put it. "Since Po-Wahi?" [/color]

IC:[color=#696969;] Ferron (Zuria's Hut)[/color]

[color=#696969;]Ferron swallowed, and took a big slurp of his tea. It was still a little hard to talk about.[/color]

[color=#696969;]"I've opened a handyman shop: Ferron's Forge. I build things, and I fix 'em. I felt I had to reconnect with my roots after all that happened"[/color]

IC (Hatann): "I'll go to Ta-koro" Hatann decided. Working as part of a group brought its own opportunities and challenges, but had had an awful lot of time to himself in the last few months. He would welcome a bit of company, at least for a while. Just how long that lasted would depend on the company.

Anyway, this new "mission" as the toa was calling it, piqued his interest. It was different to what he had been used to, and a change was as good as a rest, or so they said. The killings themselves shouldn't be a problem - he had mamaged to get around the Ta-koro guard before, albeit with some difficulty, but it was possible. It was the pinning it on another village that would provide the interesting twist here, and it was a challenge he could look forward to. Already, his mind was starting to turn over and work on the problem, coming up with ideas about how it might work.

He just had one more question before he could set out. "Is there anyone in particular that the ice-village would like to see dead?" he asked "For the sake of unity among the villages, I think we should first offer our services to these beings".

The sight of Raxa drinking, when there was such important work to be done, was an unpleasant one to say the least. He expected those he worked with to be at the peak of their skills at all times, and anything that could inhibit them proved to be a hindrance. Of course, he could easily say that Raxa had terrible taste in drinks, that one he had been ordered to hold onto, it tasted so terrible that he had been forced to pour out the whole bottle. But he would let Raxa drink himself into whatever state he wanted, it wasn't as though it would cause any real problems to Interitio, as soon enough he wouldn't have to deal with Raxa any longer, it was only a matter of time.

"Raxa, I assume you know why you were given a piece of paper as well?" He commented, before light footsteps could be heard walking from the shadows into the light, but when they did, there was no sign of Interitio. A shadow of a being standing before them, where one was not, could be seen against the wall from the low light that managed to sneak in. It was the power of his mask, to be unseen, and yet still leave a trace. That was why the shadows were so welcoming, th turned his masks weakness into nothing more than a useless side-effect. Then, he slowly appeared before the surrounding group, a darkness amongst the darkness taking the form of a Toa.

His armor was a simple black, with little to make it stand out from black armor that was seen on many beings. There was nothing special about it, and that was what made it so powerful. A long black trenchcoat-cloak hybrid wrapped around him, covering up the armor even more, leaving very to be seen. Armor was hard to replace, it someone say yours with enough detail, it would be much more difficult to replace than merely removing a cloak and vanishing into the night. The hood of the cloak bulled down over his face, casting a deep shadow over it that concealed his eyes, let still let him see all that went on before him. A scarf-like cloth wrapped around his lower face, then enough that he could breath through it, and yet thick enough to cover everything the hood did not.

He could see a hint of a shadow moving, the tiniest hint of life coming from distance. Someone was coming towards them, perhaps another killer, perhaps not. He would merely have to wait to find out. If it was not one of his recruits, or a killer already among their numbers, then there would be many questions. If it was not an assassin at all, then they would find themselves dead. A group of dangerous killers did not make for a good welcoming party for someone who accidentally walked down the wrong alley at the wrong time. But there was one thing to do for now, and that was to wait, and see exactly who it was that was moving towards them with unknown intent.

He turned slowly towards Hatann, thinking about something, before slowly deciding to speak. "Then I welcome you to my team, it will be a dangerous mission, or that I am sure. Normally we must slip away after a single killing, here we run the risk of being found, as we must stay around to kill multiple." If there had been any questions abut Interitio part in this plan, they had now been extinguished. He was going to be part of the team sent after Ta-Koro, he was going to help them find targets of the utmost importance, so their lives could be ended. It was going to be a challenge, but he had the highest of confidence int he killers that he had scouted, fully expecting them to return victorious.

"That is why I am going, to see if I can find the targets that best fit what we need. It will be my part of this operation to uncover information, so that your pieces shall be easier." He turned towards Raxa, poking the Toa right in the forehead. If they could have seen the look beneath his coverings, the would have seen as a grin crafted from a feeling of petty revenge. "You, shall be placed back in charge of recruiting others and handing out targets until I return. Do you think you can do this without causing us to be discovered, and yourself to be executed?" He didn't wait for an answer, slipping back into the shadows that he found most comforting. "If you have anything you wish to do, anything you wish to get, before we depart, I would suggest taking the time to acquire it now."

OOC: The Phantom moves in a field of silence, using his Sonics powers. Can't be heard.

IC: Demos

[color=#696969;]The Phantom heard everything. An assassination of someone in Ta-Koro to help Ko-Koro. It didn't care much for the village of ice, but it gave it the chance to take another life. Perhaps they had room for one more assassin.[/color]

It picked up speed as it neared the alley, throwing up occasional clouds of dust. Its sensitive hearing revealed to it the invisible being standing at the edge of the alley, ready to go. Before the being left, the Phantom deactivated its mask, though kept up its field of silence, approaching like a shadow.

Also, Interitio is standing in the darkest part of the alleyway, the far back. He's not quite ready to head out just yet.

IC: Interitio

As he stood in the shadows at the back of the back of the alleyway, something caught his eye. It was the silence of the being that caught his attention most of all. They moved without the slightest sound, or at least not one so loud that it could be picked up my normal ears. They were a masterpiece of stealth, though their idea of when to appear was a bit lacking, appearing in the darkness nearing the alleys end would have been the most advisable location to reveal themselves. But he supposed it did not really matter how they appeared, but it was more important that they had. Now was the time to find out who they were, and why they did not speak to introduce themselves. Their presence in the alley could mean one of a few things.

One, the person were a past assassin coming to retake their place as a member of the shadows, which would result in them being offered a place upon the Ta-Koro team. But if so, why would they not have revealed their presence with words, to let their fellow assassins know they were there. Two, they were a new recruit, one that had been given his approval and been sent a message, this too would lead to an offer of joining the Ta-Koro mission. But it also again brought up the question of their silence. The third, it was an assassin, perhaps who had heard of NEX from word of mouth, and wished to be part of the killings. This would have multiple endings. If they were an assassin he had already viewed and secretly tested, yet had failed the test, then they would have to die. If it was an assassin that he was still in the midst of watching and testing, they would be given a chance if their work had been satisfactory. If it was one that he had not yet watched or tested at all, that was where things got interesting... Anyone else, they would have to die immediately.

He turned towards the silent one moving at the end of the alley, taking a chance and whispering out his words. "Why do you remain silent, when even the darkness allows itself to be heard?" The sounds was quiet, not strong enough to reach the ears of a normal person standing at the end of the darkened back-way of the city. But if he was right, they could hear him. There was very little that could fully mask the sound of movement, one of those few being a Toa of sound. Everyone, even the greatest assassins made sounds, but a Toa of sonics could silence them before they reached the ears of any other. In fact, from his current thoughts, he could recall no other way of travelling without sound, only a Toa of sonics could truly preform such an act.

The question now would be if they decided to respond to the words said, or if they decided to run. Running would mean that they would have to be quickly hunted down, and find their life slipping away from their body as the weapons of NEX ended them. He did hope it wouldn't come to that just yet, the number of killers standing around him was smaller than he had hoped for. He was wanting at least five to join him on the mission to Ta-Koro, but s far they only numbered two. Every additional killer was a nice increase, but they had to be of quality. But now it was merely the time to wait, and see how their visitor responded.

[color=#696969;]Ferron swallowed, and took a big slurp of his tea. It was still a little hard to talk about.[/color]

[color=#696969;]"I've opened a handyman shop: Ferron's Forge. I build things, and I fix 'em. I felt I had to reconnect with my roots after all that happened"[/color]

[color=#808080;]IC: Zuriana[/color]

[color=#808080;]"That's nice," Zuria commented with a little smile. "And understandable, with, as I said, the advancement of technology. It's good to keep busy after something so traumatic, as well.[/color]

[color=#808080;]"Personally, I've found it hard to get reaccustomed to my old life - all that adventure has changed my life. I've just started seeing mysteries wherever I look, and feeling a need to solve them, even if they're none of my business. It's difficult, but I hope I'll manage to settle back down eventually."[/color]

[color=#696969;]Ferron nodded and took another big slurp of his tea, before he temporarily put the tea cup away on a nearby table.[/color]

[color=#696969;]"I know, it's hard to go back to normal" he said out loud.[/color]

[color=#696969;]"Then again, my life hasn't been "normal" in a long time" he admitted to himself.[/color]

[color=#696969;]"Zuria" he said, and raised his voice again "I made something I wanted to show you"[/color]

[color=#696969;]And with that, he used his power to call upon the trinket tucked in his satchel. Slowly the object in question floated across the room, the flickering lights of the fire reflecting in the reddish-brown color scheme, almost like rusted metal.[/color]

[color=#696969;]Ferron brought the trinket to a stop on the table, letting the fire light it up in all its artistic magnificence.[/color]

[color=#696969;]Every detail was there, the clawed hand, the crude armor, even the tail.[/color]

[color=#696969;]Zuria was now looking at a small statue of Krell.[/color]

[color=#0000cd;]"Not sure, and that's kind of a big problem with me."[/color]

[color=#daa520;]She finished off her noodle soup.[/color]

[color=#0000cd;]"Survive, I guess? That's what I've been doing these past three months."[/color]

Edited by Eduard Bernstein, May 16 2013 - 12:57 PM.

0

critical acclaim:

"All I know is I'll be playing it because it's awesome. And that's about all that really matters." - Toa Levacius Zehvor

"Without a doubt, worth every post.

So like three if you're me." - The Doc

"Despite nobody mentioning me specifically at all in their speechy thingy even though I'm a good friend of all three staff members (or so I thought </3), GoMN is still an objectively good game and should be voted for. Alongside Spirits of the Ice, because, well, y'know. #shamless plug" -Kal Grochi

"I do many things without a reason." [color=#696969;]Came the simple answer, deeper in voice than a being of the Phantom's size would suggest, and clearly not its natural one. Altered through the use of Sonics.[/color] "But I did come here with one. I know of your plans to assassinate somebody outside Onu-Koro. It's been too long since I have had such a job, so I would like to offer my help."

[color=#0000cd;]"Hrm," [/color][color=#daa520;]Elianne grunted, all the while scratching her chin thoughtfully. [/color][color=#0000cd;]"Not a bad idea. What do you do, again?"[/color]

0

critical acclaim:

"All I know is I'll be playing it because it's awesome. And that's about all that really matters." - Toa Levacius Zehvor

"Without a doubt, worth every post.

So like three if you're me." - The Doc

"Despite nobody mentioning me specifically at all in their speechy thingy even though I'm a good friend of all three staff members (or so I thought </3), GoMN is still an objectively good game and should be voted for. Alongside Spirits of the Ice, because, well, y'know. #shamless plug" -Kal Grochi

[color=#800080;]Kirgan jumped out of bed, gazing out of the window of his hut. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but was willing to bet it had been far too long. Down underground, it was difficult to extinguish night and day from each other.[/color]

[color=#800080;]Kirgan sighed and walked at his drawer. Inside was his new, shiny pickaxe. Kirgan was very proud of it. It was, after all, better than the pickaxes most others used. Only Toa could hope to have better.[/color]

[color=#800080;]Still, Kirgan was a Matoran of progress. A pickaxe alone would not suffice in this new world.[/color]

[color=#800080;]*[/color]

[color=#800080;]Kirgan knocked on the door of Matan & Natan's engineering workshop (OOC: or something like that?).[/color]

[color=#0000cd;]"And still you're paid well enough to feed a random stranger on the street... your boss sounds like the best employment opportunity in this whole island."[/color]

0

critical acclaim:

"All I know is I'll be playing it because it's awesome. And that's about all that really matters." - Toa Levacius Zehvor

"Without a doubt, worth every post.

So like three if you're me." - The Doc

"Despite nobody mentioning me specifically at all in their speechy thingy even though I'm a good friend of all three staff members (or so I thought </3), GoMN is still an objectively good game and should be voted for. Alongside Spirits of the Ice, because, well, y'know. #shamless plug" -Kal Grochi

OOC: Alright, I was just wondering if there was any way for me to get in on this whole NEX thing, I have a char here with nothing to do at the moment.

IC: [color=#40e0d0;]Zekev[/color] (from Ko-Wahi)

[color=#40e0d0;]Zekev smiled as he walked through the streets of Onu-Koro. He wasn't smiling because of some sort of great fortune that had befallen him, rather because that's how his face always looked.[/color]

[color=#40e0d0;]Then again, he'd always considered himself a real barrel of laughs[/color]

[color=#40e0d0;]The Skakdi of ice was slowly making his way towards the shadier parts of the Koro, looking for a job or two to pull. At the moment, Zekev felt willing to take any chance that presented itself, even if it was a rudimentary one.[/color]